High school math teacher Chelsea Gardner has the perfect plan. She’s tired of dating all the wrong men, and after years of frustration, she’s developed a foolproof list of requirements for finding “The One.”

Bar owner Sebastian “Bash” Palmer finds Chelsea beautiful, smart and fun, but he thinks her list is ridiculous and unnecessary. Intent on proving Chelsea is looking for love in all the wrong ways, he offers to help her find the “perfect” man.

Chelsea knows Bash isn’t the right guy for her—he barely meets one of her criteria—but there’s something about the charismatic man that has her yearning for things that are most definitely not list approved.

Because sometimes, a relationship that looks totally wrong on paper can turn out incredibly right…
*Blurb taken from Goodreads

Love After All explores three fairly common romance tropes in an interesting story involving characters with a lot of heart.

OK, so it’s obvious I liked it, but what is it?

The title “Love After All” fits to a T (also the tees that the hero frequently wears fit pretty awesomely too). This is combination of the “sex into romance” trope and the “friends into lovers” trope rolled into one.

Chelsea Gardner is a high school math teacher, and has been for about ten years. She’s excellent at her job and loves it. She’s also built a good life for herself in Hope with her friends as he support network. But her friends have been busy finding their happily ever afters, Jane with Will in Hope Smolders, Emma and Luke in Hope Flames (reviewed here), and Molly and Carter in Hope Burns (reviewed here). Chelsea is oh-so-happy for her friends, but she wants that same kind of happiness for herself.

And the guys she’s been dating have not so much been losers as just not right for her. So she decides to make a list of the qualities she needs in a perfect man. Of course everyone tells her that there is no such thing as a “perfect man”. (There’s no such thing as a perfect woman either, but that doesn’t need to be on Chelsea’s list.)

Unfortunately for Chelsea, the man who sets her heart (and other parts) fluttering gets absolutely no points on her “perfect” list. Bash Palmer owns the local bar, No Hope at All. He loves teasing Chelsea, but is completely aware that Chelsea is looking for a relationship, and he’s only interested in casual flings. But since he and Chelsea are part of the same circle of friends, they keep circling around each other. And even though Bash knows about, and teases Chelsea about, her infamous list, he can’t resist playing with fire.

They drive each other crazy. Chelsea wants Bash, but knows he isn’t into anything except owning his bar for the long haul. Bash wants Chelsea, but knows that he isn’t what she’s looking for in the long term, and he isn’t interested in the long term.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Bash. He’s just not the suit-wearing, non-sports-loving, fancy restaurant liking, non-camping guy with a 9-to-5 job that Chelsea thinks she wants. But she doesn’t feel any sparks when she dates some perfectly nice guys who fit her list to a T.

She decides that her off-the-charts chemistry with Bash is responsible for her inability to click with anyone else. So she works her way around to another trope that has an interesting way of starting a romance – she thinks that if they have sex and “get it out of their systems” she’ll be able to move on to someone who will be perfect for her.

The only problem is that that particular idea never works. You can’t unring that bell, you can’t un-know what you know. And what Chelsea and Bash discover is that the sex is pretty much perfect.

They can’t get enough of each other. Even more, they can’t get over each other. So Bash offers something that he swore he’d never do again. He asks Chelsea to try this dating thing that they keep avoiding. And it’s all fantastic. They have a terrific time together, both in and out of the sack. It’s all fantastic, until they make the marvelous mistake of falling in love with each other. Then they nearly throw it all away.

While I talked about three tropes at the beginning, these particular storylines are used frequently and for a reason – done well, they make a terrific love story. They work pretty darn well in Love After All.

Unlike the previous book, I did not want to shake Chelsea until her teeth rattled. While the things on her list may sound superficial, Chelsea herself isn’t. She’s not a 20-year-old making a list with no basis in reality – she’s a woman in her early 30s who has figured out what does and doesn’t work for her. She also happens to be naturally inclined to make lists. I can see where she’s coming from, even if I personally find her method a little odd.

And she’s right about Bash at the beginning, in a pretty important way. Bash has only had casual relationships, but LOTS of them, for quite a long time. He was married and divorced pretty young. It was a mistake that he refuses to repeat, so he always keeps things casual.

Whatever one may think of the items on Chelsea’s list, she is self-aware enough to know that she is looking for a relationship and not casual sex. Bash hasn’t done anything except casual sex in years. He’s a terrific guy, and a good friend, but he’s been pretty clear that he isn’t relationship material.

Everything changes when one of his exes stomps into the bar and hands him a chihuahua. The human bitch only got the dog to impress Bash. Now that he’s out of her picture, she wants shed of the dog, and drops poor Lulu in Bash’s lap – almost literally. He renames the poor little thing Lou and gives her a home. Surprising both himself and Chelsea. He may have thought of himself with a dog, but always something big. Lou is a little tiny thing who thrives under Bash’s care. She thinks she’s a big dog and she’s adorable.

The more Bash falls in love with the dog, the more that Chelsea sees that there is a LOT more to Bash than she thought.

In addition to the romance, one of the great features of this story, and the Hope series, is the way that it focuses on women’s friendships. It’s not just that it is great to see what the characters from the other books are doing, but these women love and take care of each other, have fun together and support each other and occasionally give one another a kick in the pants when it’s needed.
In the end, I liked Love After All better than either Hope Ignites (reviewed here) or Hope Burns, but not quite as much as the first book in the series, Hope Flames.

Piper Oliver knows she can’t trust him. They warned her that the tall, dark, and sexy black-ops soldier Jory Dean would try to win her over with his steel-gray eyes and deadly charm, but she won’t be conned by this man they call a traitor. All she has to do is figure out the science necessary to save his life, and she’s done. Something isn’t adding up, though, and she won’t rest until she uncovers the truth-even if it’s buried in his deep, dangerous kiss.

A passion she can’t resist…

Jory will do anything to reunite with and save his brothers-even kidnap the gorgeous woman who’s working to deactivate the deadly chip in their spines. But the forces determined to destroy his family won’t let them go so easily. Keeping Piper alive is more than he bargained for-and so is his burning desire for her. But with every second bringing him closer to certain death, can he afford to lose himself in her hot and willing embrace?
*Blurb from Goodreads*

I’ve really enjoyed the Sin Brothers books since I read the first one. Zanetti pulled me into this amazing world, and I can’t stop reading!

Jory is the youngest of the Dean brothers, and after he was shot and re-captured by the Commander, he is positive that he doesn’t have much longer to live. He’s accept it, and as long as he can save his brothers, he doesn’t care about himself. Then he meets Piper, and he realizes that someone might finally be able to help him save his brothers.

Piper has always wanted to meet her father and form a relationship, but her father is stone cold and unable to create the kind of bond she wants. Although she’s been warned away from Jory, Piper begins falling for him and realizes that she would do next to anything to save him.

I was so excited about this story, because I desperately needed to see what was going on with Jory. Was he dead? Alive? Held captive? Zanetti left so many questions open that I couldn’t WAIT to get the answers to them, and she did not disappoint. This book blew all my expectations out of the water, and I sincerely hope that she continues writing within this world.

While I absolutely loved the resolution to the overall storyline, I was a little bummed by the romance between Jory and Piper. Don’t get me wrong, the sexual tension between these two was off the charts, but the progression of their romance didn’t work for me as well as the previous books did. I really liked them as individuals, and enjoyed them as a couple, but I wanted MORE from their romantic journey.

Poor Jory was so sure that he wasn’t going to make it, but his absolute devotion to saving his brothers was so great to watch. I loved that he approached his last week of life with a single-minded focus of saving his brothers. It was so perfect! I loved that he was also super protective of Piper, even after learning her secrets. It just goes to show how much of a sweet and genuine hero Jory was.

Piper was so cute with all her nerdy talk. I loved that she was a geeky heroine, she was so great at being that adorable and loveable nerd.

All in all, I thought Zanetti did a fabulous job wrapping up this storyline for the Sin Brothers books. I absolutely adored the Dean brothers, and I loved the high paced action of each book, along with the perfect blend of smokin’ hot romance. This is a fabulous series, and I hope that Zanetti has plans for more!
I give Total Surrender a B+

*Thanks to the folks at Forever, we have an additional print copy of Total Surrender to giveaway to US/Canada addresses. Please leave a comment about your favorite series featuring strong brotherly ties to enter. Giveaway ends April 6th. Good luck!

]]>http://thebookpushers.com/2015/03/30/review-giveaway-total-surrender-by-rebecca-zanetti/feed/5Joint Review – Deep by Kylie Scotthttp://thebookpushers.com/2015/03/30/joint-review-deep-by-kylie-scott/
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]]>Publisher: St Martins
Where did you get the book: Publisher
Release date: 31st March

Positive. With two little lines on a pregnancy test, everything in Lizzy Rollins’ ordinary life is about to change forever. And all because of one big mistake in Vegas with Ben Nicholson, the irresistibly sexy bass player for Stage Dive. So what if Ben’s the only man she’s ever met who can make her feel completely safe, cherished, and out of control with desire at the same time? Lizzy knows the gorgeous rock star isn’t looking for anything more permanent than a good time, no matter how much she wishes differently.

Ben knows Lizzy is off limits. Completely and utterly. She’s his best friend’s little sister now, and no matter how hot the chemistry is between them, no matter how sweet and sexy she is, he’s not going to go there. But when Ben is forced to keep the one girl he’s always had a weakness for out of trouble in Sin City, he quickly learns that what happens in Vegas, doesn’t always stay there. Now he and Lizzie are connected in the deepest way possible…but will it lead to a connection of the heart?

*blurb taken from Goodreads*

Thoughts on the heroine

Lou: Like all of the heroines Kylie Scott has created, I’ve loved each and everyone and Lizzy is no different. I’m a huge sucker for the crush/unrequited trope and Lizzy lurved on Ben and made no bones and had no fear about going after what she wanted. Go Lizzy! Kylie always creates such lightness and humour in the Stage Dive series. But I think Lizzy had the toughest time in getting her romance and with her pregnancy, she had a lot to contend with. I really thought she was incredibly patient with Ben at times. In fact, I thought she was too good for Ben!

Has: I also love her heroines, they’re so lively and colourful and Lizzy’s narration was full of humour and snark that I really enjoyed. And I agree with you that she had the patience of a saint when dealing with Ben when he messed up. I also liked her relationship with Anne, and the other Stage Dive ladies, this is one of the strongest aspects of the series with the female friendships. However, even though I had a few issues with Ben and how that affected the romance, I really liked their scenes together, especially in the beginning because their banter sparkling and sexy.

MinnChica: I adored Lizzy in previous books, so I was super excited to get to see more story from her POV. Add in the fact that she was pregnant throughout, and I loved her to pieces! She was fun and snarky and sarcastic and yet such a sweetheart. She genuinely fell in love with Ben from the start, and she was willing to fight tooth and nail to get him. I loved the way she seamlessly fit in with the other ladies and the group as a whole. There were times I definitely agreed with Lou – she was almost TOO good for Ben!

Thoughts on the hero

Lou: Oh Ben, Ben, Ben. You are not my favourite Stage Dive hero. You took too long in sweeping Lizzy of her feet and sometimes you were too douchey for her. Why did you make her wait so long?! Lizzy and Ben would get close and then he would push her away, and there was not a lot of romantic moments with Ben until the latter stages of the book. I really enjoyed when they got close with their text messages but I didn’t like Ben after Lizzy announced her pregnancy. He was distant and he took far too long to realise what he was missing.

Has: THIS! I was so so frustrated with him! I wanted to reach out and throttle him at times because he was so reticent and reserved with Lizzy even though. I disagree with the romantic moments, I thought there was a good buildup in the beginning too, it was so sexy and I really liked their scenes. I so wanted more of that, instead the conflict which I thought took too long to be resolved because Ben being a bit of an arse. Although when he wasn’t being annoying, I did like the quiet but reserved guy, I wish there was more heroes who are like him, but I wasn’t a fan when he screwed up he would hide behind that shield instead of coming out to fight back to what he believed in.

MinnChica: I have to agree with the girls here. Ben was almost too much of an alphahole for me to really like him. He was demanding and commanding, and then at the same time he was constantly pushing Lizzy away, despite the feelings he had for her. It was frustrating to read, and there were many times I wanted to smack him upside the head and make sure he really realized what he was losing out on.

What did you like about the book and your favourite scenes.

Lou: I really liked Lizzy. I thought she did a wonderful job in coping on her own since Ben was quite distant with her. I also loved seeing the previous characters from the rest of the series, especially when Mal went for Ben’s throat in protection of Lizzy. Very sweet and brotherly.

Has: I adored the scenes in the beginning with the romance being built up between Ben and Lizzy, their text messages which evolved from friends to lovers, was a highlight. I also liked the humorous scene when she found out about being pregnant, which was followed by a disastrous dinner party, which cracked me up.

MinnChica: Like Has, I really loved the beginning as Lizzy and Ben built their friendship via texts. It was so cute and romantic and adorable and I just loved it. I thought it was super cute, and I wish we would have seen more of that type of fun and flirty banter play out than it did.

What were your dislikes?

Lou: This book seemed really short to me. When they finally got together, the book was almost finished and I would have loved to have seen a more togetherness from Ben and Lizzy. This book didn’t seem as romantic as the previous books. There didn’t seem to be a togetherness. I also wished Ben grovelled more towards the end of the book, and although I appreciated his grand gesture, I wished Lizzy made him stew and wait. And Ben’s sister. Did not like at all.

Has: For me it was more the issue of the flashforward beginning and then having a flashback to the events that predated that big scene in the beginning. I don’t think it was short, but because the flashback was pretty long, it affected the pace of the book. I also agree with you about the big grand gesture, although I wanted more build up or time for that, because Lizzy did gave in too easily and after the crap he put her through he really needed to grovel hard.

MinnChica: While I absolutely adored Ben and Lizzy together, once they GOT together, the slow burn was almost TOO slow for me. Once Ben finally got his head on straight and was ready to fight for Lizzy, the book was practically over. I would have liked to see them get a little more time together instead of having so much of the book where Ben was hiding behind his walls.

Summary and grade

Lou: While I liked Deep, it’s not my favourite of the series and it felt at times as if the romance was undercooked. But it features Kylie’s trademark humour and another fabulous heroine. I wished I felt the same about Ben, though when they finally got their smexy time on, it was super hot.

I give Deep a C+

Has: I really liked Deep. Although I had a few issues with the pacing and Ben’s character, I enjoyed their romance and I LOVED the humour and memorable characters. I wished some scenes were expanded on and fleshed out. But overall, I think this was a great ending to a highly entertaining and enjoyable series.

I give Deep a B-

MinnChica: All in all, I really liked this book. I loved Lizzy and thought Ben was a pretty good shy-quiet hero. I would have liked to see more of their happy romance play out on the page though, because the book was a little too angsty and broody for me. I hope Scott continues to write about sexy rock stars, because she does it well!
I give Deep a B-

]]>http://thebookpushers.com/2015/03/30/joint-review-deep-by-kylie-scott/feed/0Review – Out of the Game by Kate Willoughbyhttp://thebookpushers.com/2015/03/27/review-out-of-the-game-by-kate-willoughby/
http://thebookpushers.com/2015/03/27/review-out-of-the-game-by-kate-willoughby/#respondFri, 27 Mar 2015 13:00:14 +0000http://thebookpushers.com/?p=22064Review – Out of the Game by Kate Willoughby is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter
]]>Publisher: Carina Press
Publish Date: Out Now
How I got this book: NetGalley
Reviewer: MinnChica

Alex Sullivan may be the San Diego Barracudas’ resident playboy, but he hasn’t been able to forget the woman who kissed him like her life depended on it ten months ago. When he sees her again at a teammate’s wedding, he can’t think of anything but spending more time with her. Preferably naked.
Claire Marzano lost years catering to an overbearing husband, and she’s not going to answer to anyone ever again. A hot fling is just what she needs to get back in the game, and that’s exactly what sexy Alex offers—one wild long weekend away, with no promises or obligations.
But that one weekend changes everything. Despite knowing full well Alex isn’t the kind to ever commit, Claire is falling for him. And Alex secretly imagines a future with his strong, smart “accidental girlfriend.” Until a surprise announcement and an on-ice accident threaten to derail everything…or cause Alex to finally ditch his old ways and become the man Claire needs him to be.
*Blurb from Goodreads*

It’s no secret I have a deep, insane love of sports romances, and I’ve adored Willoughby’s previous books, so I was excited to dive back into her world.

Alex is a playboy to the core, and his obsession with Claire is something he’s never experienced before. He is drawn to her and although he’s never wanted a happily ever after, Claire makes him rethink his ways. But getting Claire to come out of her shell after a horrible marriage is harder than Alex expected, and taking all the tricks in his book.

Claire isn’t looking for romance with Alex, but a sexy fling might be just what she needs to get her confidence back. Unfortunately for Claire, falling for Alex seems to be inevitable. But when Claire announces a life-changing event, and Alex takes a hit he might not recover from, everything gets thrown up in the air for them both.

While I enjoyed this one, it wasn’t my favorite in the series. I thought Claire and Alex were cute together, but the progress of their relationship didn’t grip me like Willoughby’s previous books.

I enjoyed Claire, and totally understood her reluctance to getting invoiced with Alex. Given her history, I was surprised she was able to open up as much as she did. There were some times I wanted Claire to fight harder for what she wanted, but at the same time I got her motivations for handling the difficult situation as she did. She wanted to make sure that Alex came to her for the right reasons, and I totally get that.

I liked Alex. He was a playboy, flirt, and that fun kind of bad boy everyone loves. But he had some major issues, especially at the end of the book. I loved the way Willoughby handled Alex’s injury and his subsequent way of dealing with it. For a man who lived and breathed nothing but hockey have to suddenly re-evaluate his life was huge, and I loved the way it played out on the page, even if I wanted to smack him in the head a few times.

Like I said, there was something about the progression of Claire and Alex’s relationship that didn’t grab my heart and pull all my strings. It was cute, and I enjoyed reading their journey, but I didn’t connect to them as a couple as much as I have the previous books in the series. It might have been because of Alex’s actions toward the end of the book, or not. Either way, I liked it, but it didn’t pull me in 110% like I had hoped.

All in all, Willoughby continues to have a fabulous hockey romance series, and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. The group of guys on the hockey team are so wonderful together, and I love their dynamic. I’m excited to see who’s up next and what type of heroine will bring him to his knees.
I give Out of the Game a B-

WINGING IT
Kera Watson never expected to face death behind a Los Angeles coffee shop. Not after surviving two tours lugging an M16 around the Middle East. If it wasn’t for her hot Viking customer showing up too late to help, nobody would even see her die.

In uncountable years of service to the Allfather Odin, Ludvig “Vig” Rundstrom has never seen anyone kick ass with quite as much style as Kera. He knows one way to save her life—but she might not like it. Signing up with the Crows will get Kera a new set of battle buddies: cackling, gossiping, squabbling, party-hearty women. With wings. So not the Marines.

But Vig can’t give up on someone as special as Kera. With a storm of oh-crap magic speeding straight for L.A., survival will depend on combining their strengths: Kera’s discipline, Vig’s loyalty… and the Crows’ sheer love of battle. Boy, are they in trouble.
This blurb came from the author’s website.

So, I have a confession to make and it really isn’t much of a hidden secret. I absolutely adore Laurenston’s writing. She is imminently rereadable and provides me with a mood lift and lots of laughter regardless of her penname (she also writes at G.A. Aiken). I have hooked my entire family on her body of work so when I found out she was ending her Pride series we heaved a collective sigh of sadness. However, as news about this series came to light and I realized she was revisiting a world with a heavy Norse influence my eagerness and anticipation grew once more. I also have to admit I LOVE myths and legends so premise behind The Unleashing was starting on several positive notes. I am extremely happy to say when I finished reading, I promptly had to send my family a “you will love this story” text.

Laurenston is known for her characters who do not hold back with their thoughts, feelings, and emotions, who are passionate, dramatic, and yet highly capable of accomplishing amazing things when they decide there is a need. This story is no exception. Kera spent most of her adult life as a Marine so when she decided to become a civilian again she struggled finding meaning without the close-knit camaraderie and sense of purpose/being inherent in the Marines. Rescuing an abused dog, Brodie, gave her a reason to start interacting with the world again. Don’t worry – Brodie is still around at the end of the story, changed a bit **grin** but most certainly still around. Kera developed a comfortable routine working in a local coffee shop with some regular customers. Then one day after she decided to intervene in a nasty situation, Kera was given a second chance at becoming part of an organization with a mission. She just had to figure out the mission, understand how she played a role, and try to instill some good order and discipline amongst a set of women called Crows, who acted like their namesakes.

As Kera was trying to understand how her life changed and why she had two constants from her former life, Brodie and a regular coffee shop customer, Vig, who apparently wasn’t a fellow military veteran suffering from PTSD but something else entirely. Vig came from a long family line of Vikings and Valkyries so while he was an expert in fighting and crafting premium weapons, when he wasn’t doing either of those he reverted to his shy, quiet introverted self. For a while, he frequented the coffee shop so he could see Kera and work up his courage to ask her out but she died before he could so he took a chance and intervened, asking Skuld, one of the Norse Fates, to consider making Kera one of her Crows. After Kera’s transformation, he never really expected her to remember him with anything close to fondness but her reaction when she first saw him was more than anyone could have imagined.

I really enjoyed watching the characters interact. Vig and Kera went from casual acquaintances who had a hidden attraction to friends and more. He taught Kera about being a Crow as much as a non-Crow could. He also taught her the basic skills she would need to handle what Skuld had granted her. Kera on the other hand taught Vig some sense of moderation and person to person interaction. In addition to their growing relationship, Kera also started forming if not friendships a mutual tolerance for the other Crows as undisciplined and organized as they were. The other Crows were very amusing. They squabbled, argued, and fought amongst themselves but refused to let an outsider come between them even the “new girl” as Kera was called. As much they were anti-organization, it was great to see how they acted when they were on a mission. I think one of my favorite character driven scenes involved a certain trip Kera and Vig took for her to learn how to fight as a Crow. From the surprise destination, to the “lessons”, and the celebration afterwards I had such a blast reading it.

As Laurenston built her world, she also included a rather intriguing series of building bad events which I think set the stage for the overall conflict. Bits and pieces come out during this installment along with some rather intriguing sounding if not exactly nice mythological entities (I need to do some research) who are going to make the Crows and other supporters of Odin do some work to keep balance. Right now I think they have some catching up to do because The Unleashing ended with an enemy closer than the Crows think. I am really looking forward to the next installment and finding out what Laurenston has up her sleeve for this new world. I am fascinated by the Crows and other Clans and really wonder how they will manage to work together or if they will remain divided and fall.

]]>http://thebookpushers.com/2015/03/26/review-the-unleashing-call-of-crows-1-by-shelly-laurenston/feed/0Take Our Bookshttp://thebookpushers.com/2015/03/25/take-our-books-28/
http://thebookpushers.com/2015/03/25/take-our-books-28/#commentsWed, 25 Mar 2015 13:00:59 +0000http://thebookpushers.com/?p=21991Take Our Books is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter
]]>It’s time again for me to clear my shelves, and you to win books! Giveaway is open for one week to US and International folks. Just comment which set(s) you’d like to win. Good Luck!

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

Set 4

Set 5

Set 6

Set 7

]]>http://thebookpushers.com/2015/03/25/take-our-books-28/feed/45Debut Author Feature – Andrea K Steinhttp://thebookpushers.com/2015/03/24/debut-author-feature-andrea-k-stein/
http://thebookpushers.com/2015/03/24/debut-author-feature-andrea-k-stein/#respondTue, 24 Mar 2015 19:00:39 +0000http://thebookpushers.com/?p=22054Debut Author Feature – Andrea K Stein is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter
]]>We love brand new authors here at The Book Pushers! Fresh new voices in our favorite genres gives us another person to cyber-stalk and glom onto! We figured since there are always new authors getting published through both the big New York publishers, as well as the smaller digital first publishers, we should take the time and hunt them down and introduce them to you!

Today we’ve got Andrea K. Stein to talk about what it’s like being a brand new author!

Explain to us your journey to publication:

I’ve earned a living writing and editing news stories and features my entire adult working life and in retirement decided to try my hand at fiction. I owe a debt of thanks to the Writer’s Digest online course on how to finish a novel. I took that course some years ago from instructor Terri Valentine, also a published romance writer. She was the first person to tell me I was writing a romance (duh!) and mentored me through the process.

What’s your first published book about:

“Fortune’s Horizon,” just released on February 10, is the first of four historical romances set on the high seas, and being released this year.

BLURB

She risks everything to deliver gold to the Confederacy.

Lillie Coulbourne marks time in Paris while the Civil War rages back home. While translating dispatches for the French Finance Ministry, she accepts a spy mission through the Union blockade. When the captain of the only blockade-runner headed back to a Southern port won’t deal with women, or spies, she sneaks aboard as his cabin boy.

He refuses to risk his ship, or his heart.

Blockade runner Captain Jack Roberts has never been caught and he’s not about to let a spoiled American heiress ruin his perfect record. After he discovers her deception, he fails miserably at keeping her at arm’s length and vows to send her packing on the first mail ship back to England.

When she surprises him with her skill as a seaman and navigator, he grudgingly allows her to finish the run. But ultimately, he has to choose what is closer to his heart – Lillie or his ship.

The two novels and sequel novellas are set in two different time periods – the American Civil War and the Caribbean sugar islands in the 1700s. However, the covers of the series do have something in common. My models are all real, working heroes. For “Fortune’s Horizon,” I used Chris, former ski patroller, current fire battalion chief, and dog search and rescue expert in the Colorado High Country. The cover of “Secret Harbor” will feature Drew, a snow safety technician ski patroller who works in both Colorado and New Zealand. A portion of sales of each edition will go toward a charity of the model’s choice.

Side Tidbit –

I am a USCG certified captain and spent a number of years delivering yachts out of Charleston Harbor, moored many nights near where the blockade runners took on cotton for the run back out to sea. I think this is where my characters latched on to me.

Do you have anything in the works?

The next in the series is “Secret Harbor,” due out on May 10. Sequels to the first two releases will be out on August 10 and November 10, respectively. For more information, readers can subscribe to my newsletter on my website or at Facebook/authorandreakstein.

What are your overall dreams, goals and expectations for your future as an author?

My long-term goal is to publish a variety of titles tied to an overall theme each year. I have a Victorian Steampunk fantasy serial of five episodes set at sea and on islands off Scotland coming out in 2016. I’ve also co-written a contemporary seagoing romantic comedy, “In Too Deep,” which is in full manuscript request with two traditional publishers. We are working on two sequels to that one.

What’s your writing process like? Has it changed from when you first started writing?

My first novel took four years, but that included time to learn fiction-writing craft. Since I’m a retired journalist, the fast writing part is easier. The second novel took just under a year, and now a full-length novel takes about four months, novellas a little less.

However, my process is pretty much the same:

Characters climb into my head.

There is an explosion sorta like the inside of an overheated firecracker factory.

Everyone else comes running out in mortal fear.

I begin extensive research. Otherwise, the crowd now inside my head will keep me awake nights.

Piles of paper grow on every flat surface in my writing room.

I organize everything into submission – in massive three-ring binders

I write the ending.

I block out scenes.

I TRY to write 1,000 words a day until the darned thing’s done.

My Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers critique group hides, but I hunt them down like dogs.

When did you start writing? What was your very first story about?

I’ve been writing most of my life, and spent 30 years as a journalist, working for newspapers in the Midwest. When I was about nine, my very first story was a Western about a young girl who worked on a horse ranch with her dad. I was fearless and wrote for myself, never doubting the rest of the world would want to read what I wrote.

Who were some of your inspirations for becoming an author?

Jo Beverly and Joanna Bourne, at the very top of the list. In addition, I owe a huge debt to countless other published and pre-published authors who have shared so much of their time, friendship, and expertise along the way. The Romance Writers of America membership includes the most giving scribes you will find anywhere.

Give us the story about when you got “The Call”

I gave myself “the call.” I am self-published because I got tired of years of agents and editors requesting both partials and full, and then after several months, telling me they just can’t sell historical romance. Both Walmart and Target stock their bookshelves with rows and rows of historical romance, and I gotta believe they wouldn’t mess around with stuff they can’t sell.

Who is the author you would most like to meet living or deceased and why?

I love Thomas Hardy’s luminous descriptions of the settings and heroines of his novels, such as “Tess of the D’Urbervilles,” my favorite. He puts you in the middle of the scene, in the heart and soul of his hero.

“To a young man with the least fire in him that little upward lift in the middle of her red top lip was distracting, infatuating, maddening.”

“Clare had studied the curves of those lips so many times that he could reproduce them mentally with ease: and now, as they again confronted him, clothed with colour and life, they sent an aura over his flesh, a breeze through his nerves, which wellnigh produced a qualm; and actually produced, by some mysterious physiological process, a prosaic sneeze.”

]]>http://thebookpushers.com/2015/03/24/debut-author-feature-andrea-k-stein/feed/0Review: The Motorcycle Clubs: His Wild Desire, Off Limits, and Wanting It Allhttp://thebookpushers.com/2015/03/24/review-the-motorcycle-clubs-his-wild-desire-off-limits-and-wanting-it-all/
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]]>These are the first three novellas set in the Motorcycle Clubs series by Katie Wilde, Ruby Dixon, and Ella Goode

HIS WILD DESIRE by Ella Goode

I’m not supposed to want him, but I do.
I’m not supposed to need him, but I can’t stop.
I’m not supposed to love him, but my heart won’t listen.
Most of all? I’m definitely, under no circumstances, supposed to sleep with him.

Grant “Wrecker” Harrison spent three years of his life locked away. He’s out and he’s tired of hiding. He wants everyone, even his father Judge President of the Death Lords MC, to know she’s his.

Chelsea Weaver loves Grant even though she knows its wrong. She knew it was wrong when she gave him her virginity and she knows it’s still wrong three years later…because Grant’s her stepbrother and Judge is the only father she’s ever known.

HIS WILD DESIRE is a 26,000 word novella. No cliffhangers.

*blurb taken from Goodreads*

I’ve had this series on my radar for sometime. After reading part one of Ruby Dixon’s Ice Barbarians, I wanted to try more of this author and what better than an MC romance series in bite-size novellas? And since I’m completely anal about reading in series order, I did exactly that.

I really enjoyed Ella Goode’s His Wild Desire. It’s a very sexy and dirty erotic novella which had the right amount of dirty sex and conflict to keep the tension going. The step-brother trope doesn’t bother me. It’s a fake taboo-like-trope. Step-siblings are not blood related and the few books I’ve read don’t have the hero and heroine growing up thinking of each other as siblings. Plus, erotica/romance menages have had biological brothers partaking in menages for years (never sisters. wow. I wonder why, says sarcastic me) so if I’m going to get my “eww” factor all raised (which I’m not), I’ll save it for those stories.

Chelsea was taken in by Judge after he married her mother. Chelsea’s mum bailed on her and Chelsea was taken under Judge’s wing. She lived with Judge alongside his teenager son, Grant. Chelsea had a huge smoking crush on Grant for years. She fantasized and masturbated over him until it all came to a dirty crescendo at a party when he took her virginity. They dirty smexed until Grant was sent to prison for manslaughter. With all the dirty sex there was also emotion and real likeability with Chelsea and Grant.

I liked that this novella stayed true to what you expect from an MC romance without getting really graphic. Chelsea and Gage resume their affair after he’s released but Chelsea is scared of Judge finding out about their relationship. She loved Judge but she also loved Gage. There’s a lot sex but it’s really good “a lot of sex.” There’s some light suspense when somebody tries to blackmail Chelsea and I loved how Gage reacted intelligently because of his parole. The ending left me laughing and I can’t wait to see if Judge gets his own story.

I give His Wild Desire a B

OFF LIMITS by Ruby Dixon

He shouldn’t touch me, but he does.
Late one night, in the middle of danger, he makes me feel things I shouldn’t.
And I know I shouldn’t want more…but I do.
Because hooking up with me? It could cost him his life.

Lucky…isn’t. In fact, she’s considered ‘off limits’ to the Bedlam Butchers because she’s caused them nothing but bad luck in the past. As a bonus? She’s also the president’s kid sister. Single and lonely? That’s Lucky’s way of life. Now, the Eighty-Eight Henchmen are harassing her and they’re out for blood.

Solo…is. In a club where pairing up with a brother to watch your back is mandatory, Solo still hasn’t gotten over his partner’s death two years ago. The club’s pressuring him to name a second Treasurer, but he has to trust that person in bed and out. And it’s damn hard for Solo to trust.

But when he rescues Lucky from the Eighty-Eight, maybe it’s time for Solo to find a partner, and time for Lucky’s luck to turn around…

OFF LIMITS is a 18,500 word novella. No cliffhangers.

*blurb taken from Goodreads*

Did I mention I’m hooked on Ruby’s Ice barbarians serial? While I liked this story, I don’t think it’s as good as Georgie and Vetek. Penny is known as Lucky thanks to an undeserved nickname surrounding some unfortunate events. She doesn’t feel part of the club and thinks of herself as an outsider despite her brother being co-president.

Solo keeps to himself since coming back injured from Afghanistan where his Bedlam partner died. He keeps to himself but on the night Lucky is almost attacked, Solo is definitely partaking in something that involves a willing and excited Lucky.

Lucy and Solo have an awesome titillating smex scene but by the middle I found myself a little disengaged and the story seemed to fly by really quickly. I don’t think Sola and Lucky were as developed as they could be. The conflict seemed very minimal compared to His Wild Desire. But just like in the first book of this boxset there’s good, dirty smexy times. I’m not sure if I’m interested in reading Kitty’s story with Gem and Dom (the co-presidents). It was kinda gross on the diner blowjob scene. What brother enjoys and is blatant about getting a blow-job in front of his younger sister? The jizz joke Kitty made with Lucky was also kinda way too much information.

While this story didn’t work for me quite so well as the others, I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

I give Off Limits a C+

WANTING IT ALL by Kati Wilde

He’s the one man I can never have, but the only one I crave…

Saxon Gray has reason to hate me. He spent five years in prison after saving me from a brutal violation at the hands of a rival motorcycle club – and he paid for that rescue with his freedom. I’ve never been able to settle the debt I owe him…until now.

The menace of that old rivalry is flaring up again, and as president of the Hellfire Riders, Saxon is the one man who can keep me safe. But I want more than his protection. I want his heart.

WANTING IT ALL is a 24,000 word novella. No cliffhangers.

*blurb taken from Goodreads*

Wanting It All is a high-intensity sexy read and it’s my favourite out of the box-set. Jenny and Saxon have serious history of the non-sexual kind. Saxon is now the President of the Hellfire Riders. When he was nineteen he went to prison for killing a rider from the Eighty-eight white supremacist MC who attacked and sexually assaulted Jenny. Years have passed and things aren’t good for Jenny. Her father is dying and the Titans, her father’s MC chapter, aren’t as powerful as they once were. He worries about Jenny’s safety and comes up with an idea with Saxon of merging the two clubs together.

Saxon and Jenny’s lusty romance was smoking hot. From heavy petting sessions to a downright naughty scene in Jenny’s brewery, it delivered on all fronts with some suspense, dirty rocking sex, and a great set of secondary characters. Saxon is rough and tough and he’s my favourite out of the heroes. He’ll do anything to protect his Jenny. I loved that Jenny took her time deciding her choices and I loved she made Saxon wait until she was ready. Can’t wait to read more in this series and this couple.

]]>http://thebookpushers.com/2015/03/24/review-the-motorcycle-clubs-his-wild-desire-off-limits-and-wanting-it-all/feed/0Joint Review: Manwhore by Katy Evanshttp://thebookpushers.com/2015/03/23/joint-review-manwhore-by-katy-evans/
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]]>Publisher: Gallery Books
Where did you get the book: e-ARC widget from publisher
Release date: March 24th

This is the story I’ve been waiting for all my life, and its name is Malcolm Kyle Preston Logan Saint. Don’t be fooled by that last name though. There’s nothing holy about the man except the hell his parties raise. The hottest entrepreneur Chicago has ever known, he’s a man’s man with too much money to spend and too many women vying for his attention.

Mysterious. Privileged. Legendary. His entire life he’s been surrounded by the press as they dig for tidbits to see if his fairytale life is for real or all mirrors and social media lies. Since he hit the scene, his secrets have been his and his alone to keep. And that’s where I come in.

Assigned to investigate Saint and reveal his elusive personality, I’m determined to make him the story that will change my career.

But I never imagined he would change my life. Bit by bit, I start to wonder if I’m the one discovering him…or if he’s uncovering me.

*blurb taken from Goodreads*

Lou: Katy Evan’s debut book and I did not mix together after my issues with how mental illness was portrayed and treated. I decided to give Manwhore a try thanks to Has pushing me. I’m glad I did because Manwhore and I had a much better time together. The author has an addictive writing style that’s engaging and she has her own unique author voice. Rachel is a journalist for an ailing magazine. She’s given the chance by her boss to further her career prospects and that of the magazine by going undercover and digging dirt on journalist shy businessman and playboy Malcolm Saint.

I liked Rachel, though, I sometimes thought her blushing and bashfulness didn’t come across as entirely organic. While she’s unsure of her reactions to Malcolm and their attraction, there was no self-guilt regarding getting close to him for this article which I liked at the beginning. She was doing her job and she’s was determined to do this for herself and to make sure her mother was financially comfortable. But! I then became kinda uncomfortable because if a male journalist had done this to a woman, well, I wouldn’t be reading this book.

Has: I felt the same way. I wasn’t keen on Evan’s debut for the same reasons Lou has mentioned. I liked the sound of the premise of Manwhore and wanted to give the author another chance. And I am glad that I did because I liked Manwhore so much better because it didn’t have the problematic issues I disliked. But Evans has an engaging cracky way with the narration with the heroine and the romance, and I did laugh out loud a few times when she was describing the hero and her feelings. Katy Evans captures that well, although there was a few times that it got too much for me because I felt that Rachel sounded a bit like a teenager. I wished it was toned because it was beginning to overshadow the plot and tone of the story.

I also agree about feeling uncomfortable about the premise. I am not a huge fan of this trope but I really liked how Evan’s tackled it and I thought that the ending and the conflict, although it wasn’t fully resolved, really added to the love story. And I found it really romantic because the heroine was the one who was in the position to grovel instead of the hero and I found that refreshing.

Lou: We really didn’t get a good insight to Malcom since Manwhore is entirely in Rachel’s POV but I thought the beginning had a wonderful scene showing the enigma and forcefulness of Malcolm in his office when Rachel is interviewing him. I could understand her giddiness at times but I also felt she held her own against Malcolm, especially when she infiltrates his life. At times I couldn’t understand what made Rachel tick for Malcolm. Malcolm really did come across as a playboy. He reminded me of the womanizing and playboy ways the gossip magazines portray Leonardo Dicaprio for some reason, especially on a yacht scene. Malcolm comes across as the classic playboy who has too much of everything, including women who fawn over him. He has two friends who on the surface seem shallow like Malcolm. There’s a scene on the yacht and women who slept with Malcolm the night before feed him grapes and his response is almost absentminded and bored.

The book builds up to the moment when Malcolm finds out Rachel’s real reason of lusty courtship and I was frustrated when Rachel kept it from him, especially when it’s obvious they’ve both fallen for each other deeply. The ending did take me by surprise as I wasn’t expecting a cliffhanger but I can understand why.

Has: I totally agree with you about Malcolm’s character. I wished there was more insight and development because it was mostly in Rachel’s POV. Although, I really liked Malcolm even though he had this ladies-man reputation. I also never got the sense he was playing with Rachel’s affection and was actually quite taken by her. While Rachel was the one who, despite her inner giddiness with her growing feelings for Malcolm, was more reserved and playing it cool with their relationship. This was a nice twist on this trope because it’s usually the other way round.

However, I do have to say I wasn’t keen on Rachel’s friend and I couldn’t warm up to her character. Maybe its due to the fact that it was in Rachel’s POV but we never got to see and experience Gina’s negativity for being in a relationship and how that influenced her friendship with the heroine. But I found her annoying and not as well as fleshed out as other characters.

Lou: I didn’t mind Gina. I liked that she was warning Rachel about Malcolm and I have a feeling she might be further sequel bait with one of Malcolm’s friends. All in all I enjoyed Manwhore and I’m looking forward to the sequel.

B

Has: I also enjoyed Manwhore because it was different to what I expected with the trope of a playboy billionaire hero and a heroine who intrigues him. And I am glad that I took another chance with Katy Evans, and despite some issues with some scenes that especially involved Rachel’s inner dialogue at the halfway point, I thought this was a fun and sexy romance with the crack factor!

]]>http://thebookpushers.com/2015/03/23/joint-review-manwhore-by-katy-evans/feed/0Review – The Risk by Skye Jordanhttp://thebookpushers.com/2015/03/23/review-the-risk-by-skye-jordan/
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]]>
Publisher: Self Published
Publish Date: Out Now
How I got this book: NetGalley
Reviewer: MinnChica

Former Olympian turned physical therapist to the elite Julia Bailey knows all about pushing the limits. But when a sexual harassment suit costs her a dream job—not to mention her reputation—she takes on the biggest risk of her life. Rehabilitating the X Games’ most notorious bad boy might be just what she needs to secure the funds for her own treatment center. Problem is, the only kind of recovery her new client is interested in is under-the-covers freestyle—gear optional.

Daredevil snowboarder Noah Hunt is a rock star—on and off the slopes. A recent accident might have him down, but he’s far from out. He doesn’t care what the sexy therapist with the sweet curves says. He’s got sponsors to impress and trophies to collect, and taking things slow and steady just ain’t his style. A little dirty talk and a sizzling night later, Julia learns just how fast and hard he likes to play. Too bad for him, his heart goes all in, and one wrong move could cost him more than just his career.
*Blurb from Goodreads*

Everyone knows that I have a soft spot for sports romance books. I thought long and hard about requesting this one, because I know (or care) next to nothing about snowboarding. But I’m happy to report I enjoyed it.

Julia loves being a physical therapist, and working with top of the line athletes is her dream. But a scandal took away her dream, and the only lifeline she has to get it back is by working with snowboarder Noah, a playboy and bad boy to the extreme. Julia isn’t too sure she’s ready to take on his larger-than-life ego, but her life goals are on the line.

Noah thinks he can rehab himself back into top physical condition, but after just a few days with Julia, he realizes that not only does he want her in his bed, but he needs her to get him back on his feet. Working day and night together is killer on his libido, but the more time they spend together, the more Noah realizes that he wants her for the long term, not just a night.

Although I know nothing about snowboarding, I liked the way Jordan was able to bring the culture to life. Noah and his friends were so laid back and go-with-the-flow kind of guys, but at the same time they also were dedicated to their sport and each other. I liked that Noah had a lot more depth to him than I thought he would, and liked seeing Julia get broadsided with his wit and intelligence at every turn.

While I really enjoyed Julia’s character, there were quite a few times when the medical mumbo-jumbo had my eyes glazing over and actually pulled me from the story. While I respect the fact that Jordan most likely did a ton of research for Julia’s character, I didn’t need all the terminology and long-winded explanations into nerves and bones and damage and what-not. Like I said, it was jarring enough that it pulled me out of the enjoyment of the story. That being said, I did like Julia. She was hard-headed and stubborn to the extreme. She refused to take crap from Noah and his friends, and she pushed everyone around her to be better, be healthier.

The romance between these two was full of chemistry. Despite their one passion-filled night together before starting their working relationship, much of the book is full of sexual tension as Julia imposes a sex ban. The build up is really good, and I enjoyed watching as they worked on becoming friends and co-workers before jumping back into bed together. It added another layer to their relationship that I really enjoyed.

I also wish that we would have been given a few more clues earlier in the book regarding Julia’s history. The hints were so vague that I felt like we weren’t really given the chance to build up to the big reveal, and it made everything a little anti-climactic for me.

All in all, I enjoyed the first book in the Xtreme Heroes series and will look to see if future books will feature some of the secondary characters I enjoyed. I thought Julia and Noah were a wonderful and fun couple, and I really enjoyed their romance.
I give The Risk a B